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Russian Invasion Of Ukraine LIVE | 17 Killed, 40 Hurt In Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia City Shelling https://digitalarizonanews.com/russian-invasion-of-ukraine-live-17-killed-40-hurt-in-ukraines-zaporizhzhia-city-shelling/ Russian invasion of Ukraine Photograph: AFP highlights The Russian-Ukraine war entered 228 days as both sides continued to cripple each other’s defences.  Stay tuned for more updates on the war at WION. Oct 09, 2022, 01:01 PM (IST) After mass graves were found in Izium last month following its liberation by Ukrainian troops, another mass burial site has been uncovered in Lyman, the recently liberated town in eastern Ukraine. Regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko informed about the discovery in an online post on Friday, adding it is unclear how many bodies it holds. Kyrylenko wrote on Telegram that officials in Lyman had found “a mass grave where, according to local information, there could be both soldiers and civilians. The exact number is yet to be ascertained”. Read more Oct 09, 2022, 01:00 PM (IST) Ukraine’s state nuclear company and UN atomic watchdog said on Saturday (October 8) that overnight shelling has cut power supply of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and that the plant was on emergency diesel generators. Zaporizhzhia, the biggest nuclear plant in Europe, is currently occupied by Russian forces. Buildings in the nuclear plant have suffered damage and the situation threatens of a catastrophic nuclear accident. Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the shelling… Oct 09, 2022, 12:59 PM (IST) Russia’s Transport Ministry on Saturday (October 8) said that limited road traffic had resumed on the Kerch Bridge which was damaged in a major explosion. The ministry added that rail traffic was expected to re-start later in the day. The bridge is an important one as it joins Russia-annexed Crimea to mainland Russia. It is a key bridge for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine as it transports men and machinery.  Read more Oct 09, 2022, 12:52 PM (IST) As the October 30, Brazillian presidential runoff draws closer far-right incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro during an interview commented that if Donald Trump was still the US President he could’ve averted the Russia-Ukraine war that has been on for more than seven months now. Here’s what he said about his close ally Trump and the many issues currently bedevilling the world. Oct 09, 2022, 12:53 PM (IST) After continuous setbacks to its military forces in Ukraine, Russia has appointed a new general to lead the offensive in the country. The Russian defence ministry said General Sergey Surovikin had been appointed as the “commander of the Joint Grouping of Forces in the areas of the special military operation”, using the Kremlin’s term for the offensive. Read more Oct 09, 2022, 12:55 PM (IST) After a truck blast damaged a crucial bridge constructed as Moscow’s only land connection to the occupied Crimea, Ukrainian officials made fun of Russia on Saturday without specifically attributing the blame. The attack was compared by the Ukrainian defence ministry to the one that sunk the Russian ship Moskva in the Black Sea in April, an occasion that has already been commemorated by the issuance of commemorative stamps by the post office. Click here to read more Oct 09, 2022, 12:56 PM (IST) The United States will soon be unable to supply Ukraine with particular types of munitions that are crucial to Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion, given that supplies are depleting more quickly than they can be renewed.  Read more here Oct 09, 2022, 12:49 PM (IST) Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, claims that Russian authorities have started to ‘prepare their society’ for the potential use of nuclear weapons, but added that he does not think Russia is prepared to use them. Zelensky said action was needed now, as Russia’s threats were a “risk for the whole planet”.  Read more here Oct 09, 2022, 12:34 PM (IST) Russian President Vladimir Putin has amplified security on its only bridge to Crimea after a huge blast destroyed sections of it . Russia’s country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has been tasked to oversee the key connector to the occupied peninsula. The bridge is also a pivotal symbol of Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, reports BBC. Oct 09, 2022, 12:32 PM (IST) At least 17 people were killed in shelling in the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, city official Anatoliy Kurtev said. Anton Gerashchenko, a senior presidential adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said preliminary figures suggested that more than 40 have wounded “The Russians are not able to respond on the battlefield and therefore hit the cities in the rear,” he was quoted as saying. The city lies 125 km (80 miles) from the Russian-held nuclear power plant Read More Here

Mark Kelly And Blake Masters Clash On Immigration, Abortion In U.S. Senate Debate – Cronkite News | Prescott ENews https://digitalarizonanews.com/mark-kelly-and-blake-masters-clash-on-immigration-abortion-in-u-s-senate-debate-cronkite-news-prescott-enews/ Photo: U.S. Senate candidates in Arizona, from left, Democrat Mark Kelly, Republican Blake Masters and Libertarian Marc Victor The Arizona candidates for U.S. Senate sparred on the debate stage Thursday night with border security, abortion rights and elections integrity dominating the hour-long debate. Incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., GOP challenger Blake Masters, and Libertarian Marc Victor gathered at Arizona PBS in downtown Phoenix for the live debate, which garnered national attention and was sponsored by the Clean Elections Commission. Masters lumped Kelly and President Joe Biden together on controversial topics while Kelly highlighted bipartisanship and attempted to distance himself from the president on issues like immigration. In 2020, Kelly, husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and a former NASA astronaut, won a special election against Republican Martha McSally for the Senate seat previously occupied by longtime Republican Sen. John McCain, who died of brain cancer in 2018. Kelly’s win was instrumental in securing a Democratic majority in the Senate. Masters, author and former executive at investment firm Thiel Capital, has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and served on Trump’s presidential transition team. While tech billionaire Peter Thiel reportedly gave $15 million to the Saving Arizona PAC to support Masters’ campaign in the Republican primary, fundraising by Masters’ own campaign has trailed Kelly’s badly. Masters reported raising just over $5 million by late September, compared to Kelly’s $54.1 million as of mid-July, according to their latest Federal Election Commission filings. Immigration and border security Immigration was a hot topic during the debate. The national issue is especially controversial in Arizona given Southwest border security concerns. Gov. Doug Ducey recently ordered gaps in the border wall to be filled with shipping containers near Yuma amid a more than 200% increase in border encounters in the Yuma sector in fiscal year 2022, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. Masters accused Kelly and other Democrats of “surrendering our southern border.” Masters said that he was worried about drugs like fentanyl coming across the border and said he wants to increase the number of Border Patrol agents and deportations out of the U.S. “I think the correct amount of illegal immigration is zero; that’s what federal law says,” Masters said. “The problem is that Joe Biden and Mark Kelly are willfully ignoring federal law.” Kelly said that he has fought back against other Democrats and the president on border security. In August, Kelly and fellow Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema introduced a bipartisan bill to increase pay and staffing for Border Patrol officers. He also said that he supports physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. “I’ve been focused on this since day one, and I brought more resources here to the state of Arizona to deal with this issue,” Kelly said. Victor took a broader approach on immigration, saying that the border needs to be more secure but that he wanted there to be more streamlined processes for asylum and citizenship. Abortion rights After Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, abortion rights have become even more contentious. In Arizona, a Pima County judge last month reinstated a 1901 law that imposes a near-total ban on abortions in the state. When the debate came to abortion, Kelly took a hard stance in support of protecting abortion rights. He said there should be a federal law that codifies a woman’s right to an abortion and that late-stage abortions should be protected. Kelly went on the attack and claimed that Masters wants a national abortion ban. “You think you know better than women and doctors about abortion,” Kelly said. “We all know guys like this, and we can’t be letting them make decisions about us because it’s just dangerous.” Masters said he does not support a national ban on abortion but that he supports putting limits on abortion. Specifically, he said he supported a ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy that was introduced in the Senate last month by Republicans. Kelly claimed that Masters has softened his abortion stance in recent months. Masters denied these claims and said that states should individually decide their abortion laws. He also repeatedly emphasized his support for a federal limit on abortions, especially late-stage abortions. “I think at the federal level, we should not be allowing late-term partial-birth abortion all the way up until the moment of birth and except to save the life of the mother,” Masters said. “I believe in limits.” Victor said that government should not be involved in abortion decisions and that “there is no perfect solution.” The candidates also discussed election integrity. Masters said that he hasn’t seen evidence of election fraud in 2020, backtracking on past claims. He said that he wanted to impose a universal voter ID law in future elections while Kelly said that he thinks Arizona does elections well and that he wants to expand voting by mail. Eyes from across the country were turned toward the debate due to its importance to the balance of power in the Senate and the test to Arizona’s traditionally conservative electorate. Arizona voter registration is open through Tuesday, and early voting begins on Wednesday. Election Day is Nov. 8. Read More Here

Julian Assange Supporters Protest Against US Extradition In London, DC: 'crucial That We Fight' https://digitalarizonanews.com/julian-assange-supporters-protest-against-us-extradition-in-london-dc-crucial-that-we-fight/ Hundreds of supporters of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange gathered in London and Washington, D.C., on Saturday to demand the U.S. government end its efforts to extradite him over the publication of classified documents.  Assange, who is currently being held at London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison, will face espionage charges if he is extradited to the U.S. He is accused of publishing information detailing crimes committed by the U.S. government in the Guantánamo Bay detention camp, Iraq and Afghanistan, and reveals instances in which the CIA engaged in torture and rendition. Britain’s High Court ruled over the summer that Assange can be extradited to the U.S. Supporters in London on Saturday formed a human chain outside Britain’s parliament that stretched from its perimeter railings and across nearby Westminster Bridge to the other side of the River Thames. JULIAN ASSANGE EXTRADITION TO US APPROVED BY BRITISH GOVERNMENT Assange, who is currently being held at London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison, will face espionage charges if he is extradited to the U.S. (FOX News Digital/Landon Mion) Assange’s wife Stella said the British government should speak to U.S authorities to stop the extradition attempts. “It’s already gone on for three and a half years. It is a stain on the United Kingdom and is a stain on the Biden administration,” she said. In the U.S., supporters of the Australian-born activist gathered outside the Justice Department to call on the federal government to drop its extradition bid. The protestors said they hope Assange never steps foot on U.S. soil and that he would not be treated fairly by the judicial system. “Julian wasn’t trying to help dictatorships, he was trying to stop the United States from becoming one! And that’s why they want him in jail, and that is why it is crucial that we fight to set Julian free,” 2020 Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate Spike Cohen said at the rally. Human trafficking survivor Eliza Bleu urged the “global elites, the ruling class” and employees of the CIA and FBI to “be a hero, quit your job and become a whistleblower.” “If it’s a choice between free speech and the United States government, trust and know, one’s gotta go! If one has to go, it ain’t gonna be free speech!” she said, adding that she is so passionate about freedom because she knows what it is like to lose it. EXTRADITION OF WIKILEAKS FOUNDER JULIAN ASSANGE APPROVED BY UK JUDGE Supporters of Assange gathered outside the Justice Department to call on the federal government to drop its extradition bid. (FOX News Digital/Landon Mion) Bleu said that, despite being a female trafficking survivor, she skipped out on the Women’s March that also took place on Saturday because, without a free press, there would be nobody to cover women’s issues or survivor’s issues. Assange sought asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London years ago because he faced extradition to Sweden after two women accused him of rape. The investigations were eventually dropped.  Multiple speakers at the rally in D.C. railed against the corporate press for their lack of journalists at the event, particularly calling out The New York Times and The Guardian for being among the outlets to also publish the contents of the documents Assange had obtained. “We need watchdog journalists not lapdog journalists,” two-time Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein said. In addition to publishing war logs leaked to him by former U.S. Army soldier Chelsea Manning, who was convicted in 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses, Assange’s site published internal communications taken from the Democratic National Committee and then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign that shed light on the DNC’s attempts to boost Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary. Assange has been blamed for impacting Clinton’s chances of winning the presidency in 2016. The Wikileaks founder is wanted by U.S. authorities on 18 counts over the publication of classified documents. Multiple speakers at the rally in D.C. railed against the corporate press for their lack of journalists at the event. (FOX News Digital/Landon Mion) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The U.S. has said that Assange put lives in danger with his publication of the documents but his supporters call him a political victim.  The CIA has reportedly previously had plans to kill Assange over the publication of sensitive CIA hacking tools, known as “Vault 7.” The agency said it suffered “the largest data loss in CIA history” after Wikileaks published the materials. According to a September 2021 Yahoo report, the CIA during the Trump era had discussions “at the highest levels” of the administration about plans to assassinate Assange in London. Following orders from then-CIA director Mike Pompeo, the agency had drawn up kill “sketches” and “options.” The report further noted advanced plans to kidnap and rendition Assange and that the CIA made a political decision to charge him. Assange’s legal team has appealed Britain’s High Court ruling to authorize his extradition. Read More Here

Four Men Detained After Reports Of Shots Fired Near Arizona State Fair https://digitalarizonanews.com/four-men-detained-after-reports-of-shots-fired-near-arizona-state-fair/ Phoenix police say there are no reported injuries or property damage at this time. PHOENIX — Four men were detained following reports of shots fired near the Arizona State Fairgrounds Saturday evening. Phoenix police say officers working the fair heard gunshots in the area. Witnesses told officers they saw the alleged shooters take off in a car shortly after the reported shooting.  Officers stopped the car and detained the four men. Phoenix police say firearms were located in the suspects’ vehicle.  Police say there are no reported injuries or property damage at this time. Officers are investigating what led up to the incident. This is a developing story. Stay tuned to 12News for further updates. MORE: Subscribe to 12News on YouTube  Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone. Up to Speed Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today. Silent Witness: Arizona’s Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.  The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.  Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program’s website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.  Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.  Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000. Read More…

Trump Tells Minden Rally To Stop Democrats By Turning Out In November https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-tells-minden-rally-to-stop-democrats-by-turning-out-in-november/ Then-President Donald Trump speaks to the crowd at Minden-Tahoe Airport in September 2020. Photo special to The R-C by Michael Chan Read More Here

Hundreds Gather In Scottsdale To Show Support For Iranian Protesters https://digitalarizonanews.com/hundreds-gather-in-scottsdale-to-show-support-for-iranian-protesters/ SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – It’s been three weeks since the morality police killed Mahsa Amini for wearing her hijab wrong. Saturday, was a global day of solidarity. Hundreds of protestors showed up to Scottsdale Fashion Square chanting encouragement for Iranian protestors, waving flags, and holding images of the events in Iran. “This was the spark that created that moment that was needed for millions of people in Iran dealing with injustice that was going on,” said Hessam Rahimian, who migrated to Arizona from Iran 35 years ago. Rahimian says strict laws on women have plagued Iran for over 40 years. The younger generations leading the movement said they’ve had enough oppression and want the freedoms they’ve never had the privilege of knowing. Rahimian said the Iranian government has tried to stop protests using different tactics; “when they protest they get beaten to death or shot.” According to Rahimian, whose family lives in Iran, thousands of people have been killed there for protesting. Despite the Iranian government cutting internet access to prevent gatherings or images of the killings from getting out, Mahsa Amini’s death sparked global protests, including in Arizona. Anisa Afkhami is a student at Arizona State University who helped organize the protest and was happy about the turnout. “I’ve noticed even non Iranians are pitching in, coming by, and supporting us. I think that’s what’s really important,” she said. Afkhami says she feels empowered when she sees Iranians risking their lives because it’s not just about a dress code. “There’s segregation between women and men even in classrooms,” Afkhami explained. “Women cannot choose what jobs they want.” The continuous killings in Iran fuel the anger against the regime; seeing this as the most sustained protest in years, Iranians will never be silenced again. Another protest is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 15, at 5:30 p.m. at Tempe Town Lake. Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Paul LePage wanted 2016 Votes Hand-Counted While He Wavered On Certifying Results https://digitalarizonanews.com/paul-lepage-wanted-2016-votes-hand-counted-while-he-wavered-on-certifying-results/ AUGUSTA, Maine — While he wavered on certifying the results of Maine’s 2016 election, then-Gov. Paul LePage wanted ballots to be hand-counted and was warned by his top lawyer that failing to sign off could subject him to criminal liability. The Republican ultimately chose to certify the results, but he sent a new crop of lawmakers a form letter saying he had “strong concerns regarding the integrity of Maine’s ballot” and could not attest to the results. He cited no evidence, but had earlier said elections are illegitimate without voter ID laws. Afterward, he singled out voting tabulators used across Maine. A written exchange between LePage and his chief lawyer, Avery Day, shows he was focused on baseless allegations about the tabulators. Discovered by the Bangor Daily News at the Maine State Archives in September, it fleshes out the former governor’s thinking and showed how he wanted to change the election at the last minute, though there were no legal means to do so. Maine election facts Maine elections are administered by city and town clerks, who independently count votes before sending them to be certified by the secretary of state’s office. Voter fraud is extremely rare, here and nationally. In recent Maine elections, it has only been charged under isolated circumstances. LePage’s push for hand-counted elections was somewhat ahead of its time. After a 2020 election marked by former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election, the Associated Press counted six states where lawmakers had introduced bills to require them, even though a 2018 study found scanners are better than humans at the tedious task. Despite telling WGAN the 2020 election was “stolen” and writing “stolen election” on the certification of U.S. Rep. Jared Golden’s 2018 ranked-choice voting win in Maine’s 2nd District, LePage said at a Tuesday debate with Gov. Janet Mills that he had “never rejected any election, including the last presidential election” and would “absolutely” accept the 2022 outcome. Day, now in private practice, declined to comment on the exchange. LePage strategist Brent Littlefield did not answer questions about the 2016 exchange and whether the former governor still has concerns about the tabulators. “Our campaign is focused on the economy and moving Maine forward,” he said. On Nov. 3, 2016, five days before Mainers voted, a Day memo to LePage noted constituents had contacted the then-governor about the validity of elections based on tabulator software that has come under criticism for security flaws. But Day attached a message from Julie Flynn, the deputy secretary of state who heads elections, saying Maine never used the software. LePage breezed past that in a handwritten note back to his lawyer, saying he was “sensing a desire to overlook the potential of a problem” and requested that all ballots be hand-counted. “This is serious!!!” he wrote. At that time, the tabulators from Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software were used in roughly half of Maine cities and towns, while the rest counted by hand. They count the paper ballots used across Maine, are never connected to the internet and get tested at the federal, state and local levels before they are deployed. Since then, their use has expanded to all Maine cities and towns with more than 1,000 voters and most with more than 700, said Emily Cook, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. The machines provide printouts of the tabulations that are used to report unofficial and official results. Recounts are done by hand in Maine races that remain close. Maine’s 2016 election was mixed. Trump won the 2nd District but lost the state to Democrat Hillary Clinton. Republicans held the 2nd District and the Maine Senate. But referendums opposed by LePage on the minimum wage, marijuana legalization, ranked-choice voting and education funding passed. Approximately two weeks after Day’s initial memo, he followed up with LePage to lay out his options around certifying the election results, noting the then-governor was “hesitant” to do so. But the lawyer said this was not an option because state law directed him to. If he did not, he could face a misdemeanor charge for neglecting official duties or impeachment. Day looked to mollify LePage with a few options, saying official documents could be signed by stamp, he could send a letter to the secretary of state to express concerns about the use of the tabulators or he could release a public statement on the issue. LePage chose the latter. “There are serious flaws in elections in our system,” he said in a note responding to Day. Though LePage’s lawyer contacted his office for information, Matt Dunlap, a Democrat who was the secretary of state at the time, said concerns about tabulators were never brought to him and he called the former governor’s focus on the subject cynical. “I cannot believe that a public official would engage in rhetoric that would discourage people from participating in their own democratic form of self-governance,” he said. While LePage moved away from his hard line on elections in the first debate with Mills and independent longshot Sam Hunkler, he revived unsubstantiated voting claims earlier in the campaign by saying people were bused from Massachusetts to Waterville to vote in Maine’s 2009 referendum on same-sex marriage.  Maine is among 15 states that do not require any form of ID at the polls, although it is required to register. Voter ID laws are roundly supported by Republicans and poll well with the public. Democrats generally oppose them fearing discriminatory effects. However, a 2018 study found little effect on both fraud and turnout. LePage has called a voter ID law one of his top priorities if he goes back to the Blaine House, saying in the debate that the state should simply give eligible voters an ID if they lack one. “Why are you against voter ID?” LePage asked Mills later in the debate. “We don’t need it. We have integrity in our elections,” Mills replied. “We have a huge turnout, which validates our democracy.” Read More Here

Visenta Luna Welch https://digitalarizonanews.com/visenta-luna-welch/ Visenta (Vee) Luna Welch (98) passed away on September 19, 2022, in Laveen, AZ. She was born February 2, 1924, in San Diego, CA to Perfecto and Maria Luna. Our family lost a wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was preceded in death by her husband, Durward Eldon (Sandy) Welch, her parents, and several brothers and sisters. She is survived by her sisters Manuela Perez and Maria Sanchez; her brother Miguel Luna; her daughters Josie Baca, Marjorie Tackett, Anita Tucker, Sandra Woodruff and husband Bud, and Martina Velasquez and husband Gilbert; 9 grandchildren and several great and great-great grandchildren. After the death of her husband, Visenta was eager to join him, but there were still things she needed to do. She spent the last 15 years of her life living with her family in Laveen, going on adventures with her granddaughter Bree and helping raise her great-grandchildren Jake and Alex. She enjoyed cooking, junk food, going to the casino, causing mischief, and laughing with her family. She brought light and love to everyone she interacted with, and she will be missed every day. Services for Visenta will be held at Lozano Mortuary on October 14, 2022, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Visenta will be laid to rest at the Flagstaff Citizens Cemetery on October 15, 2022, at 10:00 am. Obituaries Newsletter Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox. Read More Here

Crimea Bridge: Russia Ramps Up Security After Blast https://digitalarizonanews.com/crimea-bridge-russia-ramps-up-security-after-blast/ Image source, Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies. Image caption, New satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies show smoke and fire following the explosion on the symbolic Crimean bridge. Russia ramped up security on its only bridge to Crimea after a huge blast destroyed sections of it on Saturday. President Vladimir Putin has now ordered the country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to oversee the key connector to the occupied peninsula. The bridge is also a pivotal symbol of Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. The blast killed three people, Russian investigators said. Officials said work to fix the damaged sections will begin immediately. Russia’s deputy prime minister ordered the destroyed parts of the bridge to be taken down immediately, and said divers would begin investigating damage below the waterline on Sunday morning, Russian news agencies report. Hailed by Russian media as “the construction of the century”, the bridge has been crucial to Russia for the movement of military equipment, ammunition and troops into southern Ukraine. But new satellite images released on Saturday showed smoke and fire near the collapsed areas of the 19km (12-mile) bridge, which was opened with much fanfare four years after Moscow annexed Crimea. Since it plays a strategic role in the war, Ukrainian authorities have said it is a legitimate target, as they vow to retake the peninsula. Ukrainian officials responded with thinly-veiled approval to the explosion – but have not indicated that their forces were behind the attack. President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the incident in his nightly address on Saturday, saying: “Today was not a bad day and mostly sunny on our state’s territory.” “Unfortunately, it was cloudy in Crimea. Although it was also warm,” he added. Media caption, Watch: Fire and smoke seen on Crimean bridge after explosion reported Russian authorities moved swiftly to reopen those parts of the key connector still intact, and said late on Saturday that the bridge has been partially reopened to road and rail traffic. It is a vital artery in Moscow’s supply chain to the battlefront in its invasion of Ukraine – and to the annexed Crimean territory itself. The Moscow-appointed governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said there was a desire for revenge, but made reassurances that the peninsula still had a month’s worth of fuel and more than two months’ worth of food. “The situation is manageable – it’s unpleasant, but not fatal,” he said. Ukrainian official David Arakhamia, parliamentary head of Mr Zelensky’s party, said “Russian illegal construction is starting to fall apart and catch fire. “The reason is simple: If you build something explosive, then sooner or later it will explode.” And a Ukrainian MP told the BBC that regardless of who was responsible for the attack, this was a “big Ukrainian victory and very severe and hard loss for Russia.” “The bridge is not destroyed but damaged, but the image of Putin is destroyed, that is the most important thing,” Oleksiy Goncharenko said. It is hard to overstate the political, symbolic and strategic significance of the Crimean bridge. Russian officials previously claimed it was well protected from threats from air, land or water – particularly since it is more than 100 miles from Ukrainian-held territory. A Russian national anti-terrorism committee said the damage was caused by a truck bomb blowing up, which caused seven railway carriages to catch fire. The home of a man from the Krasnodar region of southern Russia is being investigated, it added. While Ukraine has not linked its armed forces to the explosion, it has targeted Crimea in the past. Last month, Ukraine claimed responsibility for a series of air strikes on Crimea – including an attack on Russia’s Saky military base. Since the bridge attack on Saturday, Ukraine’s social media has erupted in celebration. Its second-largest bank says it has already issued a new debit card design featuring the collapsed bridge. In recent weeks, Kyiv’s forces have taken back significant amounts of territory seized by Russia earlier in the war. Hours after the bridge explosion, Russia appointed a new commander to lead its troops in Ukraine. Sergei Surovikin is a veteran commander known for leading Russian forces in Syria and was accused of overseeing the decimation of the city of Aleppo. But Russia still controls fast swathes of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – the biggest in Europe – which has lost all external power and is relying on emergency diesel generators for the energy it needs for reactor cooling, according to the UN nuclear watchdog. And the nearby city of Zaporizhzhia, in Ukraine’s south-east, saw overnight shelling which killed at least 17 people, according to a local official on Telegram. Buildings and apartment blocks have been damaged in the missile attacks, said Anatoliy Kurtev, the city’s secretary of administration. Unverified posts on social media also appeared to show apartment blocks in flames. Read More Here

'No One Is Living In Peace': Documents Shed Light On Savannah Toddler's Family Before Disappearance https://digitalarizonanews.com/no-one-is-living-in-peace-documents-shed-light-on-savannah-toddlers-family-before-disappearance/ Update 8:35 a.m.: Chatham County Police issued the following statement Saturday morning:“Finding Quinton Simon is our highest priority, and the intensity of our work is as strong as it has been since the day of his disappearance. We appreciate everyone’s offers of assistance, but we are not in need of volunteers. FBI assistance continues.”Initial report: It has been four days since 20-month-old Quinton Simon went missing from his Buckhalter Road home in Savannah. But there are few updates to the ongoing investigation.Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley told county commissioners Friday morning that police have exhausted the physical search but they are still considering it a missing person’s case.Chatham County Police say they don’t believe there was any foul play involved and hope Quinton is still alive.TRENDING STORIESHere’s how you can be in a movie starring Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson shooting near SavannahDeadly crash shuts down Highway 80 at Johnny Mercer BoulevardWawa announces plans to open new location in Georgia, then possibly 20 more”I hope he’s still alive,” Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said during a press conference Thursday. “We don’t have any information to believe he’s not.”Court documents obtained by WJCL show that the family was at odds before Quinton’s disappearance.The documents show that Billie Jo Howell, Quinton’s grandmother, attempted to remove the child’s mother, Lelani, and her boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, from the home.Billie Jo, Lelani’s mother, said in the document “They have damaged my property and at this point no one is living in peace.”She added that she wanted Lelani and Daniel out “as soon as possible.” Documents also show that Quinton’s grandparents, Billie Jo and her husband, are the ones who have custody of Quinton and his 3-year-old brother. “She hasn’t always done the right thing,” Billie Jo said of her daughter on Thursday. “Sometimes she does really great, sometimes she doesn’t. I don’t know what to think right now. I don’t know what to believe, because I don’t think anybody ever believes this is going to happen to them. I don’t know if I can trust her or I don’t. I just know I’m hurting and I want this baby home. He’s my baby.”Chief Hadley says police will leave no stone unturned in the search. “There’s a very sequential process that takes place here,” Hadley said Friday. “It may be frustrating to the general public, it may be frustrating to y’all that things aren’t developing as quickly as you may like. But we’ve got to make sure that we’re doing the right thing, that we’re being lawful, making sure we dot our I’s and cross our T’s. So that if we discover evidence, it can be admissible in court and we can use it in court if we have to.” Police say a search has been conducted of the home, the backyard pool and a nearby pond. Because of the possibility the case could be an abduction, the FBI is involved, scouring the area by land and air looking for any signs of life. If you have any information regarding the case, call 911. Update 8:35 a.m.: Chatham County Police issued the following statement Saturday morning: “Finding Quinton Simon is our highest priority, and the intensity of our work is as strong as it has been since the day of his disappearance. We appreciate everyone’s offers of assistance, but we are not in need of volunteers. FBI assistance continues.” This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Initial report: It has been four days since 20-month-old Quinton Simon went missing from his Buckhalter Road home in Savannah. But there are few updates to the ongoing investigation. Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley told county commissioners Friday morning that police have exhausted the physical search but they are still considering it a missing person’s case. Chatham County Police say they don’t believe there was any foul play involved and hope Quinton is still alive. This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. TRENDING STORIES Here’s how you can be in a movie starring Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson shooting near Savannah Deadly crash shuts down Highway 80 at Johnny Mercer Boulevard Wawa announces plans to open new location in Georgia, then possibly 20 more “I hope he’s still alive,” Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said during a press conference Thursday. “We don’t have any information to believe he’s not.” Court documents obtained by WJCL show that the family was at odds before Quinton’s disappearance. The documents show that Billie Jo Howell, Quinton’s grandmother, attempted to remove the child’s mother, Lelani, and her boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, from the home. Billie Jo, Lelani’s mother, said in the document “They have damaged my property and at this point no one is living in peace.” She added that she wanted Lelani and Daniel out “as soon as possible.” Documents also show that Quinton’s grandparents, Billie Jo and her husband, are the ones who have custody of Quinton and his 3-year-old brother. “She hasn’t always done the right thing,” Billie Jo said of her daughter on Thursday. “Sometimes she does really great, sometimes she doesn’t. I don’t know what to think right now. I don’t know what to believe, because I don’t think anybody ever believes this is going to happen to them. I don’t know if I can trust her or I don’t. I just know I’m hurting and I want this baby home. He’s my baby.” Chief Hadley says police will leave no stone unturned in the search. “There’s a very sequential process that takes place here,” Hadley said Friday. “It may be frustrating to the general public, it may be frustrating to y’all that things aren’t developing as quickly as you may like. But we’ve got to make sure that we’re doing the right thing, that we’re being lawful, making sure we dot our I’s and cross our T’s. So that if we discover evidence, it can be admissible in court and we can use it in court if we have to.” Police say a search has been conducted of the home, the backyard pool and a nearby pond. Because of the possibility the case could be an abduction, the FBI is involved, scouring the area by land and air looking for any signs of life. If you have any information regarding the case, call 911. Read More Here

Obituary: Julie Michele Stazenski https://digitalarizonanews.com/obituary-julie-michele-stazenski/ Julie Michele Stazenski. (Courtesy) Originally Published: October 8, 2022 9:11 p.m. Julie Michele Stazenski from Prescott Arizona, passed away in Twin Falls, Idaho, September 19, 2022 at the age of 56. Julie was involved in many activities, from darts and softball to gardening and delicious cooking. She was always looking to love and help make others lives more full. Julie also enjoyed any time she could share in moments with her nieces and nephews. Julie is preceded in death by her parents Jim and Millie Stazenski (Jim original owner of Jim’s Alignment and Brake Service in Prescott, Arizona). She is survived by brother Clay Stazenski (Wendy) of Prescott, AZ, nieces Jessica Erks (Brad) of Prescott, AZ and Amber Stazenski (Emily) of Tucson, AZ, nephew Clay as CJ Stazenski (Joshua) of Beaverton, OR, great-nieces Kimberlie and Finley and great-nephew Kevin, Marie Wolf (Carl and family) of Prescott Valley, Courtney (and family) of Prescott, AZ. A private Celebration of Julie’s Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, feel free to send donations to Children’s Cancer Network in Julie’s name. Information provided by the family. Read More Here

Twitter Tests New Pop-Up Prompts To Dissuade Screenshots Of Tweets https://digitalarizonanews.com/twitter-tests-new-pop-up-prompts-to-dissuade-screenshots-of-tweets/ Amidst the turmoil of the Elon Musk experience, Twitter has continued to deploy new elements and updates, as it seeks to both maximize usage and revenue potential for the business – whoever ends up owning it. Twitter’s also working to prove that it’s even more valuable, and significant, than its raw user count may suggest, by highlighting, where it can, the reach of tweets to non-users, which could number a lot more than its official active user stats. Twitter’s latest effort on this front is a new prompt which pops up when you go to screenshot a tweet, asking you to either share in the app, or share a link to the tweet instead. As you can see in this example, posted by app researcher Jane Manchun Wong, Twitter wants to stop users sharing tweets outside of the app, which then results in reach and usage that it can’t track. That means that its usage data looks lower than it is, which is damaging for the business. And it could actually be significant – according to this chart, which tracks meme origins based on ‘Know Your Meme’ data, Twitter is actually a key source of many, many web trends. TikTok, as you might expect, is now on the rise for this element, but Twitter remains a key source of viral web trends. Which many probably wouldn’t expect, given that Twitter’s user count is currently sitting on 238 million monetizable daily active users, putting it well behind Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Twitter’s usage has remained relatively low, despite its efforts to reframe its stats and shift the discussion to more meaningful numbers. But Twitter maintains that the actual reach of tweets is far more significant than the numbers suggest – which it’s actually been trying to prove for years. Back in 2015, Twitter unveiled a new plan to monetize the more than 500 million people who saw tweets each month but never actually logged-into the app. 500 million is more than double Twitter’s current user count, and in Twitter’s view, that’s more indicative of the level of influence the app actually has, despite the official numbers being comparatively low. And it may have a point. Due to its fast-paced, real-time nature, Twitter is especially popular among journalists, who then aggregate the information sourced from tweets across many, many more platforms. This was especially true during the Trump presidency, in which the former President used his Twitter account to communicate policy decisions, and everything else, which had every news platform monitoring the app constantly. As such, tweets likely do reach much further, and have much more influential impact than its active user count would suggest. But if Twitter can’t quantify that in actual numbers, the market can only go on the data that it has. Which is why it’s now trying to find new ways to keep more activity in the app, which also includes experiments with new prompts to share tweets with people, even if they aren’t signed up for the app, tweet view counts for broader engagement context, and an enhanced experience for non logged-in Twitter users. If Twitter can get more people sharing in app, via these new prompts and tools, that could be a big win for the app, in showing that many more users are actually engaging with tweets than what it may seem. But then again, if the app ends up going private under Elon Musk, which is apparently his plan, that might not matter for too much longer either way. We’ll have to wait and see what comes next.   Read More Here

Hundreds Gather In Boyle Heights To Rally For Reproductive Rights https://digitalarizonanews.com/hundreds-gather-in-boyle-heights-to-rally-for-reproductive-rights/ The Daily Beast Team Putin Wakes Up: We Never Should’ve Laughed at Ukraine Anadolu Agency via GettyRussia experienced a number of embarrassing setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine, but none of them were as humiliating as an explosion that rocked the Crimean Bridge, also known as Kerch Strait Bridge or Kerch Bridge, early Saturday morning.During his Saturday broadcast on Solovyov Live, Russian state TV host Sergey Mardan opened his show with heavy sighs. He noted, “All day long we’ll be talking about how this happened and what will come of it. I can tell you right now The Daily Beast Pro-Trump Rally-Goers Blame Mysterious Bogeymen for Latest Event Flop Zachary Petrizzo/The Daily BeastWASHINGTON, D.C.—Right-wing activists assembled on Capitol grounds Friday afternoon for yet another pro-Trump rally after a similar event proved an epic failure less than two weeks ago—but again found themselves struggling to explain a pathetically low turnout.Fervent supporters of Jan. 6 defendants, a MAGA-loving fashion designer, and a rough-and-tumble gentleman dressed in early colonial garb were just a few of the characters back outside the Capitol, equally up The Daily Beast Putin’s Own Allies Turn On Him as Ukraine Unleashes Hell in Stolen Russian Tanks Sergei Karpukhin/ReutersHot on the heels of embarrassing reports of Russian recruits fighting each other and Moscow loyalists calling for Kremlin ministers to kill themselves, it seems the rage against Vladimir Putin’s handling of his invasion of Ukraine is now openly being conveyed to the man himself by members of his own inner circle.A report Friday—which is Putin’s 70th birthday—said that one of the despot’s closest allies had openly challenged the disastrous way the war was being conducted. Ukrayinska Pravda “So?”: Russian authorities and propagandists react to destruction of Crimean bridge ROMAN PETRENKO – SATURDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2022, 12:33 Officials of Russia and occupied Crimea, as well as Russian propagandists, react to the explosion and fire on the Crimean bridge with threats. Source: Ukrainska Pravda; Mariya Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, on Telegram Quote from Zakharova: “The reaction of the Kyiv regime to the destruction of civilian infrastructure testifies to its terrorist nature. Bloomberg Why Saudi Arabia Rebuffed Biden’s Pleas for More Oil (Bloomberg) — The US has accused Saudi Arabia of siding with Russia after it led OPEC+ in a shock decision to slash crude output, keeping oil prices high at a time of global concern about inflation. The world’s largest oil exporter insists the decision was about economics, not politics. Most Read from BloombergRussia Races to Reopen Crimea Bridge Damaged in Fiery BlastPutin Orders Sakhalin-1 Project Transferred to Russian EntityFacebook Is Warning 1 Million Users About Stolen Usernames, Passwor The Daily Beast Kremlin Sources Slam ‘Losing’ Putin and His ‘Dumpster Fire’ War in Explosive Report GettyAs Ukrainian forces continue to make gains against the Russian army, whispered grievances about Vladimir Putin have begun to fly around the Kremlin about the war and efforts to avoid celebrating his birthday, which falls on Friday.“It quickly became clear that we’re better off not holding any celebrations right now—it’s not the time,” one source close to the Kremlin told Meduza. “Governors are even thinking about cutting back on this year’s [winter] holiday celebrations; nobody has extra mo Ukrayinska Pravda Satellite images of damaged Crimean Bridge released KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO – SATURDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2022, 20:43 Satellite images have been released showing the damage to the Crimean Bridge after the explosion on Saturday, 8 October. Source: PlanetScope images posted by Planet Twitter, journalist Christopher Miller on Twitter Quote: “This pair of PlanetScope images, captured just one day apart on October 7 and 8, 2022, shows the damaged Kerch Strait Bridge following a major explosion today. Read More Here

As Mar-A-Lago Case Advances, Trump’s Initial Success Could Fade https://digitalarizonanews.com/as-mar-a-lago-case-advances-trumps-initial-success-could-fade-3/ Former President Trump’s battle against the Justice Department investigation into the mishandling of government records at Mar-a-Lago has now reached the highest court, but legal experts say he may not fare as well as his case is pushed before new judges.  Trump scored an initial victory before a federal district court judge in Florida, who granted his request to appoint a special master to review the more than 10,000 government documents seized at his home to determine whether any might be protected by executive or attorney-client privileges.  But as the case works its way through the court system, other judges seem more hesitant to grant Trump’s requests.  The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals served the Department of Justice (DOJ) an initial victory in the case, siphoning off the more than 100 classified records from special master review and later agreeing to an expedited schedule to review DOJ’s challenge to Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to approve the special master process.  But Trump’s emergency appeal to the Supreme Court wasn’t treated like an urgent matter — Justice Clarence Thomas gave DOJ a week to respond.   “All indications are that the appellate litigation continues to move in the government’s direction,” Brad Moss, a national security law expert, told The Hill.  “The 11th Circuit is expediting the appeal of the special master appointment, and the Supreme Court is conversely taking its sweet time considering Mr. Trump’s appeal of the lifting of Judge Cannon’s injunction. If nothing else, the appellate judges are making clear how serious they take the government’s national security concerns and how little credence they place in Mr. Trump’s legal theories.”  Trump’s appeal to the Supreme Court to intervene in the case was the latest step from a legal team that’s taken an aggressive posture in its battle with the Justice Department.  But the filing itself was actually quite narrow.  The request from Trump asks that the classified records in question are returned to the pool of documents included under the special master review, opting not to ask the court to exclude those documents from being used by the Justice Department as they continue their investigation — something Cannon had included in her original order.  “This is a very specific and narrow request by Trump, the merits of which turn on a technical jurisdictional question, but which runs into fatal procedural obstacles long before that. It’s not laughable, but only because it’s small,” Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law specializing in federal courts and national security law, wrote on Twitter.   “This is what good lawyers who are stuck do to appease bad clients….It’s a way of filing *something* in the Supreme Court without going all the way to crazytown and/or acting unethically,” Vladeck added.  Trump’s lawyers argued that the federal appeals court erred by allowing the Department of Justice to appeal a move that was procedural in nature.  They argued the appeal “impairs substantially the ongoing, time-sensitive work of the special master” and said the 11th Circuit’s intervention “effectively compromis[es] the integrity of the well-established policy against piecemeal appellate review.”  Trump’s team also recycled legal arguments from earlier briefs insinuating that he could have declassified the records in his home but stopped short of doing so. It’s a statement that generated skepticism from the special master, who initially asked the legal team to back the claim before Cannon stepped in and said Trump did not need to comply with the request.  Even if Trump convinced the court, the DOJ would still be able to use the documents in its investigation even as the special master reviewed them.  Moss, likewise, suspected the filing is likely to accomplish little for Trump.  “The appeal to the Supreme Court by the Trump legal team was done for one reason: Mr. Trump no doubt demanded something be filed. The narrowness of the appeal reflects the efforts by his lawyers to craft something — anything — they could justify as non-frivolous. Even if it succeeds, it would likely come too late in the special master process anyway to matter,” he said.  Brian Greer, a former attorney for the CIA, sees one potential upside for Trump — but only if the Department of Justice decides to prosecute him.  “Even if Trump is granted the relief they’re seeking, it’s not clear how helpful it’s going to be to them other than getting early access to those classified records,” he told The Hill.   “To me, the only real end game with the Supreme Court litigation, other than delay, is getting access to those records prior to an indictment so that they can start building their defense.”  The 11th Circuit agreement to an expedited review for the Justice Department’s case could also prove helpful for the government.  In its initial ruling, a three-judge panel for the court suggested Cannon erred by appointing the special master, a sign it may be convinced Trump has little claim as a former executive to any of the documents.  But as a practical matter it also aids their investigation.  “The Justice Department is correct in asserting that being unable to use the unclassified documents currently before the special master could hinder its ongoing investigation into the classified records,” Greer said.  “That’s because, as the Justice Department asserted, they may want to explore how those unclassified documents were commingled with the classified records, whether there are fingerprints on those documents, and to ask witnesses about those documents, all of which might be relevant to investigating the classified records,” he continued.  But the victories for the Department of Justice still delay the ultimate determination on the records.  The process before the 11th Circuit and Supreme Court could take months, and a ruling from the appeals court would likely come in December at the earliest.  “The timing is still not great for DOJ as they would likely want to complete any investigation involving the relevance of the unclassified records prior to bringing charges on the classified records,” Greer said.  Read More Here

Student No Longer Attending Trinity High School Following Racist Social Media Post https://digitalarizonanews.com/student-no-longer-attending-trinity-high-school-following-racist-social-media-post/ A student who was seen on an Instagram post with a racist poster referencing slavery is no longer a student at Trinity High School.In a statement sent Saturday morning, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Manchester, Dr. David Thibault, said privacy prevents from providing certain information, but said that the individual is no longer a student at Trinity High School.The statement also said that there is a narrative that is baseless of a rumor of a “one-day suspension” and allowing the student to continue participating in athletics is not true and never has been. News 9 has opted not to show the Instagram post depicting a former Trinity High School boy posing with a girl, along with the racist sign referencing slavery.”The sentiment expressed in that photo has no place in our community,” Thibault said in the statement. NAACP Manchester President James McKim said the post was “totally inappropriate and offensive.””I think that it’s a reflection on our culture that makes students — some students, not all but some students — feel like that is an appropriate kind of statement to make or remark to make,” McKim said.School president Nathan Stanton said the picture was taken a few weeks ago out of state but was brought to his attention Thursday afternoon. He did not go into detail about repercussions for the student involved, but he said Trinity has a no-tolerance policy and that swift action was taken.”We actually escorted the student out of the school at the end of the day, before school ended, and we met as a team and met with the diocese, and I would say within two hours, we made a decision and contacted the family,” Stanton said.Stanton said the girl in the photo does not go to Trinity. He said the focus is on supporting students.McKim said he has been in contact with Trinity leadership and thinks the statement they put out was very good. He said more can be done.”To me, expelling someone, removing them from the school in the situation, is really akin to sweeping the matter under the rug, just pushing it away, saying, ‘we’re not going to deal with it.’ And that doesn’t help the student, that doesn’t help the community in the long term,” McKim said. “So, what I like to advocate for, is restorative justice, and to say, let’s bring all the parties together, the perpetrator and the victims — and the victims are people of color in the community in Trinity and outside of Trinity. Let’s bring them all together and discuss what this student is going to do to repair the harm that he has done.”One student, who asked to remain anonymous, said seeing the post circulate made her feel angry and hurt.”It’s terrible. It’s terrible,” she said. “I shouldn’t have to go to school, go throughout my day and then see someone who I pass in the halls or pass at lunch post something like this. It hurts. And it’s like, OK, so that’s what you think of me.'”McKim said the focus should not fully center on the student.”A lot of the focus may be on the student in his actions. A lot of the focus may be on the school and the leadership in the Catholic Diocese and district and their actions. But we also need to center the experiences and the feelings of the Black men and boys who are starting to get their identity and all of a sudden, see this kind of post that makes it seem like they’re less than human, even though we’re in 2022 and we’re not picking cotton anymore,” McKim said. “By seeing that, and the sense that that’s been put out there as a way that someone thinks today in 2022, that’s traumatic.””We view everything that we do in our Catholic schools through the Catholic lens, and so Catholic teaching tells us that students – all people – are created in the likeness of God,” said Alison Mueller, director of marketing for the Diocese of Manchester. “And because they’re created in the image and likeness of God, they have inherent dignity and inherent values. So, when things like this happen, as unfortunate and uncommon as they are, it’s an opportunity for all of us to do some work with our students.”In a letter to the Trinity community, Stanton said there have been external violent threats made against the high school, so out of an abundance of caution, they are canceling all scheduled sporting events this weekend. MANCHESTER, N.H. — A student who was seen on an Instagram post with a racist poster referencing slavery is no longer a student at Trinity High School. In a statement sent Saturday morning, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Manchester, Dr. David Thibault, said privacy prevents from providing certain information, but said that the individual is no longer a student at Trinity High School. The statement also said that there is a narrative that is baseless of a rumor of a “one-day suspension” and allowing the student to continue participating in athletics is not true and never has been. News 9 has opted not to show the Instagram post depicting a former Trinity High School boy posing with a girl, along with the racist sign referencing slavery. “The sentiment expressed in that photo has no place in our community,” Thibault said in the statement. NAACP Manchester President James McKim said the post was “totally inappropriate and offensive.” “I think that it’s a reflection on our culture that makes students — some students, not all but some students — feel like that is an appropriate kind of statement to make or remark to make,” McKim said. School president Nathan Stanton said the picture was taken a few weeks ago out of state but was brought to his attention Thursday afternoon. He did not go into detail about repercussions for the student involved, but he said Trinity has a no-tolerance policy and that swift action was taken. “We actually escorted the student out of the school at the end of the day, before school ended, and we met as a team and met with the diocese, and I would say within two hours, we made a decision and contacted the family,” Stanton said. Stanton said the girl in the photo does not go to Trinity. He said the focus is on supporting students. McKim said he has been in contact with Trinity leadership and thinks the statement they put out was very good. He said more can be done. “To me, expelling someone, removing them from the school in the situation, is really akin to sweeping the matter under the rug, just pushing it away, saying, ‘we’re not going to deal with it.’ And that doesn’t help the student, that doesn’t help the community in the long term,” McKim said. “So, what I like to advocate for, is restorative justice, and to say, let’s bring all the parties together, the perpetrator and the victims — and the victims are people of color in the community in Trinity and outside of Trinity. Let’s bring them all together and discuss what this student is going to do to repair the harm that he has done.” One student, who asked to remain anonymous, said seeing the post circulate made her feel angry and hurt. “It’s terrible. It’s terrible,” she said. “I shouldn’t have to go to school, go throughout my day and then see someone who I pass in the halls or pass at lunch post something like this. It hurts. And it’s like, OK, so that’s what you think of me.'” McKim said the focus should not fully center on the student. “A lot of the focus may be on the student in his actions. A lot of the focus may be on the school and the leadership in the Catholic Diocese and district and their actions. But we also need to center the experiences and the feelings of the Black men and boys who are starting to get their identity and all of a sudden, see this kind of post that makes it seem like they’re less than human, even though we’re in 2022 and we’re not picking cotton anymore,” McKim said. “By seeing that, and the sense that that’s been put out there as a way that someone thinks today in 2022, that’s traumatic.” “We view everything that we do in our Catholic schools through the Catholic lens, and so Catholic teaching tells us that students – all people – are created in the likeness of God,” said Alison Mueller, director of marketing for the Diocese of Manchester. “And because they’re created in the image and likeness of God, they have inherent dignity and inherent values. So, when things like this happen, as unfortunate and uncommon as they are, it’s an opportunity for all of us to do some work with our students.” In a letter to the Trinity community, Stanton said there have been external violent threats made against the high school, so out of an abundance of caution, they are canceling all scheduled sporting events this weekend. Read More Here

Fall Art On The Boardwalk In Scottsdale Coming Nov. 4-6 – AZ Big Media https://digitalarizonanews.com/fall-art-on-the-boardwalk-in-scottsdale-coming-nov-4-6-az-big-media/ Fall Art on the Boardwalk by Sundance Creek Promotions kicks off at Scottsdale’s Talking Stick entertainment district from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4, to Sunday, Nov. 6, with free admission and parking. In time for the holidays, Art on the Boardwalk (located at the Arizona Boardwalk, 9500 East Vía de Ventura) will feature talented local and regional artisans exhibiting fine arts, crafts, home décor and specialty gift items within the intimate setting of the Arizona Boardwalk’s center courtyard. READ ALSO: Ari Levin and Lynette Carrington launch new art-centric podcast Guests will enjoy live musical entertainment on Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. by The Chacons, a brother and sister duo playing pop and classic rock songs with a soulful, jazz vibe. Children may create their own work of art and enter the coloring contest. Meet princess characters Ariel and Elsa along with the future-seeing Bruno Madrigal from Timeless Enchantments Arizona, an inclusive and diverse nonprofit charity group that volunteers to bring magic and smiles throughout Arizona. Ariel, Bruno and Elsa will take pictures with guests from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5. The first 50 adults will receive a free tote bag on Friday morning at show opening when they come to the Sundance Creek Promotions booth. Budding artists from Salt River Elementary will display their masterpiece interpretations of Pablo Picasso in the student art exhibit. Attendees can vote on their favorite to help the top three student artists win a prize. “Art on the Boardwalk offers the perfect place to find a dazzling array of art and specialty gift items by masterful local artists and vendors. The one-of-a-kind items will impress everyone on your shopping list,” says Dina Giovale, event producer, Sundance Creek Promotions. “Don’t forget to ask artisans about customizations and special commission items to get the perfect size, shape or color for yourself or your home.” As Scottsdale’s premier entertainment destination, the Arizona Boardwalk features several of the Valley’s most popular attractions, including OdySea Aquarium, Butterfly Wonderland and Pangaea: Land of Dinosaurs, in addition to multiple dining, shopping and amusement venues. Attendees can start their creative adventure shopping one-of-a-kind creations at the Art on the Boardwalk festival. Then, visitors can learn about marine life, butterflies or interesting dinosaur facts. When guests get hungry, Johnny Rockets, Reef Snackbar or Pangaea Grill are ready to serve. Finish the afternoon listening to live entertainment, enter a kids coloring contest and shop more at the art festival. Guests may want to come back a second day! Read More Here

Dust Advisory Issued October 8 At 8:05PM MST Until October 8 At 9:00PM MST By NWS Phoenix AZ – KESQ https://digitalarizonanews.com/dust-advisory-issued-october-8-at-805pm-mst-until-october-8-at-900pm-mst-by-nws-phoenix-az-kesq/ The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a * Dust Advisory for… Southwestern La Paz County in west central Arizona… Central Yuma County in southwestern Arizona… Northeastern Imperial County in southeastern California… Riverside County in southern California… * Until 900 PM MST/900 PM PDT/. * At 805 PM MST/805 PM PDT/, a wall of dust was along a line extending from 7 miles southwest of Palo Verde to 11 miles southeast of Cibola to 6 miles northwest of Yuma Proving Ground to 14 miles northeast of Martinez Lake to 21 miles south of Kofa Wildlife Refuge, moving south at 25 mph. HAZARD…Less than one mile visibility with strong wind in excess of 30 mph. SOURCE…Doppler radar. IMPACT…Hazardous travel. * This includes the following highways… AZ Route 95 between mile markers 37 and 76. CA Route 78 between mile markers 43 and 77. Locations impacted include… Martinez Lake, Cibola, Kinter and Yuma Proving Ground. Blowing dust brings reduced visibility, leading to dangerous driving conditions. If driving, avoid blowing dust if possible. If caught in dense blowing dust, pull off the road, turn off your lights and keep your foot off the brake. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. Read More…

Sun Devils Relentless In Shaun Aguano’s First College Win https://digitalarizonanews.com/sun-devils-relentless-in-shaun-aguanos-first-college-win/ Relentless. It’s a term Shaun Aguano has used time and again since taking over as interim head coach.  He is going to be relentless in the way he coaches his team. He needs his players to be relentless in their pursuit to turn around the season. The coaching staff will be relentless to set up these student-athletes for success.  “They know that I’m coming for them,” Aguano said. “They know that I’ll never give up on them. They know the coaches will never gie up on them. So that relentlessness is now what you see on our kids because they relentlessly want to win.” The relentlessness paid off in Aguano’s third game as head coach when the Sun Devils beat the No. 21 Washington Huskies 45-38 on Saturday. The Devils had to be relentless down to the final play to hold off the Huskies. They had to be relentless overcoming multiple injuries including to captains Emory Jones and LaDarius Henderson. They had to be relentless slowing down the Pac-12’s top offense. It’s the same relentless Aguano had to have to get here. From an assistant coach at Chandler High School to leading the program as the “little brother” to rival Hamilton. Then from taking Chandler to a state champion to the football standard, not just in Arizona, but the entire country. He had to be relentless stepping away from that dominance to a new challenge as running backs coach for Arizona State. That relentlessness really needed to show up when he was tasked with holding a team together that just had its head coach fired and 75% of its season still to play.  The last three weeks haven’t been easy, but being relentless in all three phases of the game got them Aguano’s first win as interim head coach.  “Is this one of the greatest days of my coaching career? Absolutely,” Aguano said. “I feel like the richest man…just because the wealth of love that they’ve given me and the trust they’ve given me.”  Two key members of this win were former walk-on quarterback Trenton Bourguet and running back Daniyel Ngata, who have lived up to the relentless standard while in Tempe.  Bourguet is a former Marana High School standout accumulated 7,612 passing yards in four seasons but had a very quiet recruitment, mainly due to 5-foot-11 frame. He walked on at ASU for the 2019 season and eventually earned himself a scholarship, but aside from mop-up duty here and there, he had to wait.  And wait.  Until Saturday when starting quarterback Emory Jones took a blow to the head and had to leave the game.  Bourguet stepped in down 10-3 in the second quarter and helped lead the Sun Devils to a 397-yard total on the day, second only this year to their season-opener against Northern Arizona.  “There’s a lot of guys on the offensive side of the ball that trust him,” running back X Valladay said. “I even knew that when I got here. It doesn’t matter what type of coaches come in because at the end of day, it’s the guys between the lines that are going on the field. Trenton is a baller and I feel like we have ballers throughout our whole depth chart.” In total, Bourguet competed 15/21 passes with three touchdowns and an interception. Like his head coach trying to make the most of his own opportunity, Bourguet was ready when his name was called. “I’ve always mentioned to him that he has to be prepared,” Aguano said. “He’s not the tallest. He’s not the fastest. He doesn’t have the strongest arm, but he has the traits of a great quarterback because he knows how to anticipate. He knows how to rally around his guys and his guys rally around him.” “Once you have that opportunity, and when you get that opportunity, make sure you take advantage of it. He has today.” Ngata has been patient as a complimentary back to Rachaad White in his first two seasons as a Sun Devil. The former All-American has been effective when he gets in the game with Valladay.  On Saturday, Ngata averaged 9.8 yards per carry with a touchdown.  Perhaps the only that has hampered a bigger role for Ngata is the fact that he shared a backfield a NFL running back in White and college football’s leading active rusher in Valladay. Yet he remains relentless when he gets a touch.  Now, the Sun Devils head into a bye, able to take a breath and digest the chaos of the last month. They’ll be turning a page and look ahead to the second half of the season.  “We want to stack this win with Stanford in two weeks,” Aguano said. “We stack the days. We stack games now and now we want to stack the rest of the six games to make this season a very successful one.” The results of the season are still uncertain. The pursuit of this season’s goals? No doubt it will be relentless. Read More Here

Trump’s Hard-Line Policies Toward Iran May Have Led To Current Protests https://digitalarizonanews.com/trumps-hard-line-policies-toward-iran-may-have-led-to-current-protests/ Protests in Iran have spread like wildfire and former President Donald Trump’s hard-line policies may have provided the kindling. The protests that have rocked Iran for three weeks are the largest the country has seen in over a decade, fueled by women angry over the increasingly repressive measures of the regime and a growing sense of hopelessness about the country’s economic future. Watching the unrest unfold, some have asked whether Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign paved the way for the current anti-government uprisings.  Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and an expert on U.S.-Iran relations, said Trump’s implementation of harsh sanctions following his exit from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran may have been an important factor in creating the conditions for the current protests. “The combination of the regime’s mismanagement, repression and economic mismanagement, and on top of that sanctions that have really devastated the economy creates an explosive situation that makes protests more likely,” Parsi said.  The protests began on Sept. 16, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who had been arrested three days earlier by the country’s morality police for violating strict rules on head coverings. A photo of Amini lying unconscious in a hospital bed went viral as her family claimed she had been beaten by dress code-enforcing officials, resulting in a nationwide protest that has since spread to over 80 cities.  Like other recent protests in Iran, this has been met by a harsh response from law enforcement. There have been at least 154 confirmed deaths since the protests began, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights. Even with the government’s eagerness to quell the protests, they seem to be intensifying. Dozens of videos have surfaced on social media showing large crowds confronting law enforcement officers, tearing down pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, yelling “death to the dictator,” and repeating the slogan “Woman. Life. Freedom.” Most dramatically, there are  videos showing women removing their mandatory headwear, the hijab, and throwing them into the flames.  Though this round of protests stands apart from others in Iran’s recent history — because of its inclusion of the middle class, clear revolutionary aspirations and focus on women — the underlying motivations are not new, according to Parsi.  “You have 40 years of repression, corruption, mismanagement by the government and a continuous depriving of the population of any hope and faith that the system can be reformed,” Parsi said.  Despite these long-standing grievances, it’s likely the current uprising was accelerated by Trump’s rejection of Obama-era foreign policy, Parsi said.  In May 2018, Trump followed through with a campaign promise to end the United States’ participation in a 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration. The deal was meant to limit the Iran nuclear program in exchange for relaxed U.S. sanctions. But, according to Trump, the deal was inherently flawed and “failed to protect America’s national security interests.”  Upon exiting the deal, Trump announced that previous sanctions would be reimposed on Iran and throughout the remainder of his presidency additional sanctions were levied, making it the toughest sanctions regime ever applied to the country. In the two years following Trump’s decision, the sanctions, which levied fines on Iran’s oil exports and hundreds of individuals and companies, caused Iran’s economy to contract by almost 12%, pushing roughly 10 million people from the middle class into poverty, Parsi said, citing Hadi Kahalzadeh of Brandeis University. According to Parsi, the failure of the Iran nuclear deal and the economic turmoil brought on by the reimposition of sanctions undermined the arguments of reformers, such as former Iran president Hassan Rouhani, 2013-2021, and paved the way for hard-liners to come to power, such as current president Ebrahim Raisi, who was elected in 2021 after the country’s Guardian Council disqualified all other serious contenders.  Since becoming president, Raisi has refused to compromise in negotiations over a revised nuclear deal and has increased enforcement of the Islamic dress code, something Raisi’s moderate predecessor had discouraged. With a failing economy and a more repressive regime in place, hope for reform has disappeared, Parsi said.  “With the manner in which the hard-liners have increasingly closed the space for change and reform from within, it is not surprising to see that people are increasingly losing confidence and faith in that it is reformable and as a result feel, rightly or wrongly, that protests and a complete overhaul of the government is the only way, the only option they have,” Parsi said.  While Trump’s policies were an important factor in creating the conditions that resulted in the current protests, they may have also decreased the chances of success, he said. A 2012 study, co-authored by Parsi, found that almost no authoritarian regimes under broad economic sanctions have experienced a successful transition to democracy. Economic sanctions have actually helped consolidate authoritarian rule and weaken opposition, Parsi said, by making it more difficult for an impoverished population to sustain protests and by destroying the institutions and norms needed for a successful transition to democracy. Economic sanctions against Iran remain in place under the Biden administration as negotiations over a revised nuclear deal have stalled and uncertainty over the future of the current regime continues to grow. While it’s unlikely the regime will collapse in the near term, Parsi has no doubt that the protests will have a lasting effect. “I don’t think things can go back to the way they were.” Read More Here

Tuberville: ’Pro-Crime’ Democrats Want ‘reparations’ For ‘people Who Do The Crime’ https://digitalarizonanews.com/tuberville-pro-crime-democrats-want-reparations-for-people-who-do-the-crime/ News Updated: Oct. 08, 2022, 9:39 p.m.| Published: Oct. 08, 2022, 9:20 p.m. WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 21: Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) rides in a Senate elevator near the Senate Chambers in the U.S. Capitol on July 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Senate wrapped up their votes for the week and is expected to consider legislation for legalizing marijuana and the House-approved bill protecting same-sex marriage. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Getty Images U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Saturday said Democrats are in favor of “reparations” because they are “pro-crime.” Tuberville, R-Ala., made the comments while at a rally held by former President Donald Trump in Nevada. “They want reparations because they think the people who do the crime are owed that,” Tuberville said as the crowd cheered behind him. “Bullshit!” he added. Tuberville’s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Tuberville joined Trump and other Republicans speaking at a rally near Lake Tahoe in Nevada in support of Adam Laxalt, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate and Joe Lombardo, a candidate in the state’s governor’s race. “We’re going to take our country back and we’re going to straighten up education and we’re going to close the border,” Tuberville said. “We’re going to get inflation under control, and we’re going to stop this damn crime. You have to select and get Adam Laxalt elected senator of the state of Alabam-of Nevada.” During the rally, Tuberville also said the U.S. cannot afford food stamps and “people need to go back to work.” Reparations typically refer to “financial recompense for African-Americans whose ancestors were slaves and lived through the Jim Crow era,” according to the NAACP. The association has called for a national apology, as well as financial payments, social service benefits and land grants to every descendant of enslaved African Americans. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Read More Here

As Mar-A-Lago Case Advances, Trump’s Initial Success Could Fade https://digitalarizonanews.com/as-mar-a-lago-case-advances-trumps-initial-success-could-fade-2/ Former President Trump’s battle against the Justice Department investigation into the mishandling of government records at Mar-a-Lago has now reached the highest court, but legal experts say he may not fare as well as his case is pushed before new judges.  Trump scored an initial victory before a federal district court judge in Florida, who granted his request to appoint a special master to review the more than 10,000 government documents seized at his home to determine whether any might be protected by the executive or attorney-client privileges.  But as the case works its way through the court system, other judges seem more hesitant to grant Trump’s requests.  The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals served the Department of Justice (DOJ) an initial victory in the case, siphoning off the more than 100 classified records from special master review and later agreeing to an expedited schedule to review DOJ’s challenge to Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to approve the special master process.  But Trump’s emergency appeal to the Supreme Court wasn’t treated like an urgent matter — Justice Clarence Thomas gave DOJ a week to respond.   “All indications are that the appellate litigation continues to move in the government’s direction,” Brad Moss, a national security law expert, told The Hill.  “The 11th Circuit is expediting the appeal of the special master appointment, and the Supreme Court is conversely taking its sweet time considering Mr. Trump’s appeal of the lifting of Judge Cannon’s injunction. If nothing else, the appellate judges are making clear how serious they take the government’s national security concerns and how little credence they place in Mr. Trump’s legal theories.”  Trump’s appeal to the Supreme Court to intervene in the case was the latest step from a legal team that’s taken an aggressive posture in its battle with the Justice Department.  But the filing itself was actually quite narrow.  The request from Trump asks that the classified records in question are returned to the pool of documents included under the special master review, opting not to ask the court to exclude those documents from being used by the Justice Department as they continue their investigation — something Cannon had included in her original order.  “This is a very specific and narrow request by Trump, the merits of which turn on a technical jurisdictional question, but which runs into fatal procedural obstacles long before that. It’s not laughable, but only because it’s small,” Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law specializing in federal courts and national security law, wrote on Twitter.   “This is what good lawyers who are stuck do to appease bad clients….It’s a way of filing *something* in the Supreme Court without going all the way to crazytown and/or acting unethically,” Vladeck added.  Trump’s lawyers argued that the federal appeals court erred by allowing the Department of Justice to appeal a move that was procedural in nature.  They argued the appeal “impairs substantially the ongoing, time-sensitive work of the special master” and said the 11th Circuit’s intervention “effectively compromis[es] the integrity of the well-established policy against piecemeal appellate review.”  Trump’s team also recycled legal arguments from earlier briefs insinuating that he could have declassified the records in his home but stopped short of doing so. It’s a statement that generated skepticism from the special master, who initially asked the legal team to back the claim before Cannon stepped in and said Trump did not need to comply with the request.  Even if Trump convinced the court, the DOJ would still be able to use the documents in its investigation even as the special master reviewed them.  Moss, likewise, suspected the filing is likely to accomplish little for Trump.  “The appeal to the Supreme Court by the Trump legal team was done for one reason: Mr. Trump no doubt demanded something be filed. The narrowness of the appeal reflects the efforts by his lawyers to craft something — anything — they could justify as non-frivolous. Even if it succeeds, it would likely come too late in the special master process anyway to matter,” he said.  Brian Greer, a former attorney for the CIA, sees one potential upside for Trump — but only if the Department of Justice decides to prosecute him.  “Even if Trump is granted the relief they’re seeking, it’s not clear how helpful it’s going to be to them other than getting early access to those classified records,” he told The Hill.   “To me, the only real end game with the Supreme Court litigation, other than delay, is getting access to those records prior to an indictment so that they can start building their defense.”  The 11th Circuit agreement to an expedited review for the Justice Department’s case could also prove helpful for the government.  In its initial ruling, a three-judge panel for the court suggested Cannon erred by appointing the special master, a sign it may be convinced Trump has little claim as a former executive to any of the documents.  But as a practical matter it also aids their investigation.  “The Justice Department is correct in asserting that being unable to use the unclassified documents currently before the special master could hinder its ongoing investigation into the classified records,” Greer said.  “That’s because, as the Justice Department asserted, they may want to explore how those unclassified documents were commingled with the classified records, whether there are fingerprints on those documents, and to ask witnesses about those documents, all of which might be relevant to investigating the classified records,” he continued.  But the victories for the Department of Justice still delay the ultimate determination on the records.  The process before the 11th Circuit and Supreme Court could take months, and a ruling from the appeals court would likely come in December at the earliest.  “The timing is still not great for DOJ as they would likely want to complete any investigation involving the relevance of the unclassified records prior to bringing charges on the classified records,” Greer said.  Read More Here

Critics Sound Alarm Over ‘Twitter Troll’ Elon Musk’s Company Takeover https://digitalarizonanews.com/critics-sound-alarm-over-twitter-troll-elon-musks-company-takeover/ Elon Musk’s looming Twitter takeover has triggered warnings on the left that under his leadership the platform will be flooded with hate speech and misinformation, especially ahead of coming election cycles.  Musk hasn’t provided a detailed picture of the version of Twitter he plans to run, but he’s foreshadowed creating a platform focused on what he deems “free speech,” meaning there would be less content moderation and a strong likelihood of former President Trump regaining access to his once favored account. With the deal barreling ahead after Musk agreed to follow through on his purchase of the company and a judge halted the trial in Twitter’s lawsuit against the billionaire, those changes could be fast approaching — and they have critics worried.  “Even if you don’t use Twitter, this is going to affect you,” Angelo Carusone, president of the left-leaning watchdog group Media Matters, told The Hill.  He likened the potential Musk acquisition of Twitter to when Fox News launched more than two decades ago, offering an alternative to balance what its founders viewed as a media landscape that catered to liberals.  “That’s what Fox became — and it had a profound distorting effect on the news media, on our society. And if you look at what Musk says about social media, we are in the same moment, just updated 30 years later,” Carusone said.  “[Musk] sees Twitter, and the policies that he wants to put in place and the way that he wants to use the platform, as a way to balance out those other social networks,” he added.  The changes Musk could make at Twitter are “going to start to reshape and influence” how other platforms interact with disinformation, extremism, harassment and abuse, he said.  The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO came to an agreement with Twitter to buy the company for $44 billion in April, but over the summer he backed out of the deal and accused Twitter of not being forthcoming with information about spam bots on the platform. Twitter denied the allegations and sued Musk to hold him accountable for his agreement.  This week Musk said he would, again, agree to his offer and tried to get the case dismissed. Twitter is still pushing for its trial against Musk, but a judge halted the case and gave Musk until Oct. 28 to close the deal or face a November trial date.  One constant throughout the five-month process has been Musk’s pledge to embrace his vision of free speech, one that appears to be in line with the lax content moderation measures Republicans have been advocating for. “I’m not doing Twitter for the money. It’s not like I’m trying to buy some yacht and I can’t afford it. I don’t own any boats. But I think it’s important that people have a maximally trusted and inclusive means of exchanging ideas and that it should be as trusted and transparent as possible,” Musk, who has previously dubbed himself a “free speech absolutist,” said in an interview with the Financial Times published Friday. At the same time, he seems to be trying to separate his view from that governing the fringe sites that have popped up to cater to right-wing users — including Trump’s Truth Social. He called the former president’s app “essentially a rightwing echo chamber.”  “It might as well be called Trumpet,” Musk said.  Musk’s own style of using Twitter may guide how he leads the company. Throughout the on-and-off-again deal, he used his account on the platform to call out top executives. At one point in May, for instance, he tweeted a lone poop emoji in response to a lengthy explanation from Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal about bots.  “He’s a premier Twitter troll himself,” said Paul Barrett, a deputy director of New York University Stern’s Center for Business and Human Rights. “He loves to insult people on Twitter and I think the fact that that’s his motivation as opposed to a clear business plan for Twitter, or even a clear ideological plan … makes the situation very volatile and difficult to forecast. Because I think a lot of it has to do with his whims and what he’s feeling like when he wakes up on any given day,” Barrett added. That troll-like approach could lead Twitter to “slide back toward” the “real cesspool” it was five to 10 years ago, Barrett said. As Twitter grew in those years, it implemented more moderation measures to rein in harassment and other forms of hate speech.  Feminist group UltraViolet warned Musk’s changes could especially harm marginalized communities online.  “If this deal goes through, Twitter will become an even more dangerous place for women, threats of violence online against Black women and women of color will skyrocket, and anti-trans content will take hold of user feeds,” UltraViolet communications director Bridget Todd said in a statement.  Musk has offered the most concrete glimpse into his plans for Twitter changes when it comes to the fate of Trump’s account.  Twitter took among the most stringent steps of any tech company regarding Trump’s social media accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack last year, putting in place a permanent ban after deeming the former president’s tweets about the riot that day violated Twitter’s glorification of violence policy. Company executives doubled down repeatedly that the ban would be permanent, even if Trump runs for office again.  But Musk has other plans. In May he said he would reverse the ban, calling it a “morally bad decision” and “foolish in the extreme.”   If Trump is allowed back onto Twitter, it would give him access to the account he used most to post online when he was running for president and while in office.  It could also influence other platforms to lift their bans on Trump.  “Twitter easing up and allowing the former president to return to the platform would put pressure on the other platforms to do the same,” Barrett said.  Meta, the new parent company name for Facebook, has already teased potentially letting Trump back on in January. The platform said its temporary suspension of Trump would be reevaluated in 2023, two years after it was put in place. “It is likely that Meta is going to restore Donald Trump’s Facebook account, but it’s not certain, there’s clearly a window of engagement there. It’s a guarantee that they will restore his Facebook account if Twitter does, it’s a fact,” Carusone said.  Letting Trump, or other figures that have been banned, back on could play a key role in the lead up to the 2024 election, and in earlier contests.  Carusone said Twitter changing hands may impact the midterm races, and the narratives about their results, pending the completion of the deal on its new October deadline.  “I don’t think he’s going to allow Twitter to enforce those policies early on, even in the immediacy. So I think the effects will be smaller, certainly, into the midterms than they will be for 2024, but they will feel them. Especially in the races that are very tight and contested,” he said.  While figures on the left lament the potential changes, Musk’s vision for Twitter has been embraced on the right. Republicans, including Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), poised to take control of the House Judiciary Committee if the GOP wins the House in November, cheered Musk’s push to buy the company.  “Two things the Left hates: Elon Musk and the First Amendment,” Jordan tweeted Wednesday.  Musk’s renewed takeover effort comes as online content moderation faces an inflection point.  Motivated by accusations that tech companies are censoring content with an anti-conservative bias, Republican-led states are trying to put in place laws that would tie the hands of those companies when they seek to remove posts or accounts that violate their policies. Florida and Texas are entrenched in legal challenges with tech industry groups over the laws, and one of the cases is expected to wind up before the Supreme Court.  At the same time, another case involving tech companies’ controversial liability shield, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, is already slated to be heard by the nation’s high court this session.  “The social media industry is now subject to kind of a legal pincer maneuver with people coming at it from very different orientations, but all of those approaches, those assaults are threatening to how the social media industry does business —and I think Elon Musk is a third threat,” Barrett said. “He’s not legislation, and he’s not litigation, but he’s a threat via a volatile personality coming to own a major platform and possibly disrupting the general direction toward more self regulation on the part of that platform in particular. Read More Here

Kanye West's Instagram Account Gets Restricted For Violating Platform's Rules And Guidelines https://digitalarizonanews.com/kanye-wests-instagram-account-gets-restricted-for-violating-platforms-rules-and-guidelines/ Kanye West attends Sean Combs 50th Birthday Bash presented by Ciroc Vodka on December 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Mazur/Getty Kanye West Kanye West is facing action from Meta after sharing what some have deemed an anti-Semitic post. Instagram restricted the Grammy Award winner’s account and deleted content from his page after he violated the social media platform’s rules and guidelines, according to NBC News and CNN, although a Meta spokesperson did not confirm to either outlet what content violated their rules. In a now-deleted post from Friday, West shared a screenshot of a text exchange between himself and Diddy, in which allegedly appeared to show West claiming that Combs was controlled by Jewish people. “Jesus is Jew,” he wrote in the caption, reported NBC News. RELATED: Kanye West Turns on Jared Kushner in New Interview, Says He Was ‘Holding Trump Back’ The American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Friday called out West’s language for perpetuating “anti-Semitic tropes like greed and control,” writing in a statement: “Kanye West should figure out how to make a point without using antisemitism. Over the last week, the musician has fomented hatred of Jews.” They also referenced his appearance this week on Tucker Carlson Tonight, in which he said that Jared Kushner‘s work with Israel that resulted in a peace treaty with the United Arab Emirates “was to make money.” “The greed theme has led to a long list of Jewish stereotypes, such as being money-oriented or controlling the world’s finances. The control theme seeks to falsely portray Jews as secret puppet masters ruling over others,” AJC continued. “Ye needs to learn that words matter.” RELATED VIDEO: Gigi Hadid Slams Kanye West for Attacking Fashion Editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson: ‘You’re a Bully’ Following his controversial two-part interview on the Fox News show in which he talked about the blowback from wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt for his Yeezy show Monday at Paris Fashion Week, West’s social media activity abruptly moved from Instagram to Twitter on Friday night, where he called out Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg. West was last on Twitter in November 2020, Election Day. “Look at this Mark. How you gone kick me off instagram?,” he wrote in part, sharing a throwback photo of the two of them singing karaoke. Elon Musk responded to the tweet with the reception, “Welcome back to Twitter, my friend!” Read More Here

Your Turn, Oct. 9: When Does A Fence Become A Wall? https://digitalarizonanews.com/your-turn-oct-9-when-does-a-fence-become-a-wall/ Dear Gov. Greg Abbott: During the Sept. 30 debate, in your response to the draconian state abortion bill you signed into law, you said you are a Catholic and you were the first person to hold your adopted newborn daughter. You stated everyone should be able to have that precious moment, and you said you govern on your personal principles. Thus the new abortion law in Texas. You do not allow, however, for others to act on their principles. Under the law you signed, you have tied the hands of obstetricians and doctors who treat and care for women so they can have safe deliveries of their babies. Beyond arguing against the law because it omits abortions for rape victims, including 11-year-old girls, you are neglecting to see the myriad reasons an abortion might be medically necessary to keep the mother from dying. These mothers would love to have that “precious moment” holding their babies, but in many instances, they may die or lose their ability to have another child. This is all due to the “lawful neglect” created by this law. It is shameful for you not to take into account the pain, damage and despair of women and their families. Women deserve to be treated with care, especially during vulnerable times. Erin Strauss debt relief Students need help, too I have heard people complain about students having their school debt forgiven. “Why bail them out?” they ask. How selfish are some who seem to think, “I didn’t get help, so why should someone else get it?” Does anyone want to bet that the same people who are complaining about student debt relief don’t say a thing when the government helps big business? Think about the bailouts for Wall Street and corporate farms. No complaints then. I wonder why some have no problems with a business getting help but object to American citizens getting it. David Maurice, Schertz politics Trump a clear danger If former President Donald Trump, with his hyperbolic, insulting and brutal language is not calling for violence, I don’t know what else to label his rhetoric. If he has not been, and is not still, the most dangerous man to have been in the White House and to seek it still, I don’t know who is. He is the most irresponsible, unprofessional and least diplomatic person I’ve experienced in politics in the United States. God bless those who recognize the clear and present danger he and those like him represent as they work to keep him from doing more damage to this country. Valerie Overstreet How parties see America In every election the character and policies of each candidate are important, but so is the vision of the party they represent. The GOP sees today’s America as a very dark place, full of conspiracies and rigged elections, full of people who hate them, God and America. Its leaders claim that only they can make our country great again as it once was. The Democratic Party sees our country as already great, even with its flaws, with optimism that together we can build a future brighter for all people. Vote for the party focused on an inclusive future. John Fehlauer Immigration More analysis like this Re: “Political theatrics muddle immigration debate,” Another View, Oct. 1: University of Texas at San Antonio professor Jon Taylor’s guest column was very helpful. I appreciate thoughtful analysis like this. I would like to read an article on the various status types of visas given to immigrants. What, for instance, is temporary protected status and which immigrants receive it? Thanks for your continuing coverage of this important issue. Francille Radmann When a fence is a wall Whatever is going up at the border in Texas, it’s not a wall. You’d think that cowboys and farmers would know the difference. Someday, maybe, I can visit the Great Fence of China, and hopefully I won’t slip through the slots. Lucia Casares Uvalde Let the town heal The grief period for the victims of the Uvalde school shooting will last for a long time because of the media coverage. Maybe it’s time to back off from coverage and let people in Uvalde have a breather so time can help heal some of their hurt. Our prayers continue for all those caught up in this tragedy. Bill Ault Read More Here

Mariners Vs. Astros: Early Odds And Preview For ALDS After Wild Card https://digitalarizonanews.com/mariners-vs-astros-early-odds-and-preview-for-alds-after-wild-card/ Mariners vs. Astros: Early Odds and Preview for ALDS After Wild Card 0 of 4 Mark Blinch/Getty Images The Seattle Mariners’ magical season will continue in the American League Division Series against a Houston Astros team that they are more than familiar with. The American League West sides will begin their best-of-five ALDS series on Tuesday inside Minute Maid Park. The two sides will have a day off on Wednesday and face each other for Game 2 on Thursday. The break in between games at the start of the series could help the Mariners rest their relief pitchers after a taxing two games against the Toronto Blue Jays. Houston proved in the regular season that it is the better all-around team by producing a 12-7 record against the Mariners. The Astros’ success against the Mariners, playoff experience and pitching depth may eliminate the chances of Seattle’s season-long magic to continue. Series Odds and Schedule 1 of 4 Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. Series Odds Houston (-190; bet $190 to win $100) Seattle (+155; bet $100 to win $155) Series Schedule Game 1: Tuesday, October 11 at Houston Game 2: Thursday, October 13 at Houston Game 3: Saturday, October 15 at Seattle Game 4: Sunday, October 16 at Seattle (if necessary) Game 5: Monday, October 17 at Houston (if necessary) All game times are TBD. Houston Enters Series with Multiple Edges 2 of 4 Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Houston Astros should be considered a healthy favorite to advance to the ALCS out of the all-AL West ALDS. Houston controlled the regular-season series with the Mariners by a 12-7 margin and it is playing in its sixth consecutive postseason. The Astros have made it to at least the ALCS in each of their last five postseason appearances. They four of their ALDS matchups by either a 3-0 or 3-1 margin. Dusty Baker’s team owns the best postseason experience in the American League and it can attack Seattle in a multitude of ways. The Astros have six starting pitchers with postseason experience, led by Justin Verlander, so they can approach every game with a new strategy and a few arms that can go multiple innings. Houston will likely go with Verlander and Framber Valdez to start the series in Games 1 and 2. Any combination of Lance McCullers Jr., Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier can be used either in relief, or to start Game 3 in Seattle. Verlander is coming off five no-hit innings in his final regular-season start. He gave up zero hits in three of his final six regular-season starts. All of those no hit totals came in Houston. Valdez had a streak of 25 starts of at least six innings for most of the season. He was taken out in the sixth inning in each of his last three starts. If Houston gets shutdown starts from Verlander and Valdez, it could jump ahead in the early stages of the contest through Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and others and force Seattle to max out its pitching similar to the situation it found itself in in Toronto. Seattle Needs More out of Robbie Ray 3 of 4 Mark Blinch/Getty Images Seattle has to come into the ALDS with some concerns about how Robbie Ray will hold up. The 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner was pulled in the fourth inning of Game 2 against Toronto after giving up four earned runs on six hits. He gave up two home runs to Teoscar Hernandez. Ray’s poor start in Toronto was a continuation of his late-season form. The southpaw allowed 39 hits, 17 earned runs and eight home runs in September. The left-handed hurler did not make it into the sixth inning in any of his three regular-season starts against the Astros. He had two outings that did not last into the fourth inning. Seattle has other options available to backup Luis Castillo. Logan Gilbert will be fully rested and George Kirby closed out Toronto in the ninth inning on Saturday. Seattle manager Scott Servais has to decide in the time off between series when he wants to start Ray, or if he wants to utilize him in a different manner. The day off in between Games 1 and 2 allows Seattle to be a bit more flexible with its starters and that could allow Castillo to come back for Game 4. There is always the chance that Ray reverses his poor form and turns in a solid outing against Houston, but Servais may wait until Game 3 at home to make that call since Castillo was fantastic in his start against Toronto and Gilbert had four starts of at least six innings versus Houston in the regular season. Could Offenses Take over Series? 4 of 4 Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Both offenses were able to put up decent totals in the 19 games between first and second place in the AL West. Houston had 10 games with four or more runs against Seattle, while the Mariners hit that total on eight occasions in the season series. Houston had at least four runs scored in eight of its 12 wins over the Mariners, including an 11-run output against Robbie Ray on July 29. The Astros offense produced four double-digit run totals in the final five weeks of the regular season and three of those totals were produced in the last 10 games. Seattle needed 10 runs to complete its comeback in Game 2 against Toronto and it put up four runs in a shutout of the Blue Jays in Game 1. The Mariners’ offense had a similar late-season output as the Astros by putting up at least five runs in their final three games and five or more runs in six of their last 11 games. Houston and Seattle may be silenced by the dominant pitchers on both sides, but they at least come into the series in impressive offensive form. Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369). If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. Read More Here

LIVE UPDATES: No. 12 Oregon Vs. Arizona https://digitalarizonanews.com/live-updates-no-12-oregon-vs-arizona/ It’s game day! We hope you’ve gotten to enjoy some great college football so far, but now it’s time for Oregon to take on Arizona. The Ducks look to stay hot in a crucial matchup ahead of their bye week, but Jedd Fisch and players like quarterback Jayden de Laura and Jacob Cowing won’t make it easy. Tonight’s matchup figures to give us another interesting test for Oregon’s defense against the Wildcats’ explosive offense and playmakers. Bo Nix and the offense will face one of the best passing defenses the Pac-12 has to offer.  Can the Ducks emerge from Saturday’s contest with a victory? Follow our updates below. What: No. 12 Oregon Ducks vs. Arizona Wildcats When: Saturday October 8, 2022 6:00 p.m. PT Where: Arizona Stadium (Tucson, AZ) TV: Pac-12 Network Broadcast crew: Ted Robinson (Play-by-play) and Yogi Roth (Analyst) Stream: FuboTV (start a FREE TRIAL by clicking HERE) Radio: Oregon Sports Network | Local: KUJZ-FM 95.3 (Eugene) | KFXX-AM 1080 (Portland) | Sirius: 133 | XM: 197 Scroll to Continue Radio crew: Jerry Allen (Play-by-play) | Mike Jorgensen (Analyst) } Joey McMurry (Sideline reporter) | Terry Jonz (Pre-game show) 0:00: The Wildcats moved the sticks again thanks to a creative run-and-throw from de Laura against the blitz. On the next 3rd Down, de Laura overthrew his receiver but Trikweze Bridges dropped a potential pick. Arizona was forced to punt, and downed the ball at Oregon’s 10-yard line to end the first quarter. 2:53: After another Irving first down, running back Noah Whittington broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown. Whittington ran the opposite way of Nix, made a big cut and sprinted into the end zone. Whittington runs for a 55-yard touchdown, Oregon leads 7-3. 5:13: Wildcats quarterback Jayden de Laura continued to have success through the air, starting the game completing six of his first eight passes for 75 yards. But a big open-field tackle by Oregon defensive back Dontae Manning stopped the Wildcats in their tracks just outside the red zone. Tyler Loop hits a 38-yard field goal, Arizona leads 3-0. 8:53: The Ducks got a first down on their first drive with a strong run from Bucky Irving. But on 3rd Down, Troy Franklin’s catch left him short of the first down. Arizona starts their next drive on their own 35-yard line. 11:05: Arizona was moving down the field with ease, thanks to a huge 37-yard catch by star wideout Jacob Cowing. But on 1st and Goal, a trick play turned disastrous. A failed jet sweep put the ball on the ground, and DJ Johnson was there to pick it up. The Ducks start on their own 11-yard line. First quarter Join the Community Follow Graham on Twitter: @grahammetzker Subscribe to our FREE newsletter to have the latest Oregon Ducks news sent directly to your inbox Join the discussion on our forums HERE Read More Here

DeSantis' Migrant Flights To Martha's Vineyard Appear Outside The Scope Of Florida Transport Program Guidelines, State Documents Show | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/desantis-migrant-flights-to-marthas-vineyard-appear-outside-the-scope-of-florida-transport-program-guidelines-state-documents-show-cnn/ CNN  —  A pair of flights carrying migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard last month, orchestrated by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, may have exceeded the original scope of the state’s plan to transport undocumented individuals, according to records obtained by CNN. The records show that in the months leading up to those flights, Florida had planned a narrower mission for a controversial new state program to transport migrants to other states. The goal, according to a callout to contractors and guidelines for the program, was to, “relocate out of the state of Florida foreign nationals who are not lawfully present in the United States.” But that’s not what transpired. On September 14, two planes picked up 48 migrants in San Antonio – not Florida – and dropped them off in Martha’s Vineyard. The documents, provided to CNN through a records request and released Friday evening by the Florida Department of Transportation and the governor’s office, offer new details about the stunt that thrust DeSantis even deeper into the middle of a national debate on immigration. From the White House to Florida, Massachusetts and beyond, the condemnation from Democrats was swift. So was the praise from Republicans for DeSantis, who only further bolstered his standing in his party as he considers running for President in 2024. A Democratic state lawmaker is already suing the state and asking a judge to stop future flights, arguing the DeSantis administration was illegally spending taxpayer dollars. The budget act that created the $12 million program specified the money was set aside to relocate “unauthorized aliens from this state.” The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The records for the first time also directly tie a $615,000 state payment made to Vertol Systems Company for the September flights that sent migrants from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard. Previously, the payment to Vertol was disclosed by the state, but the governor’s office for weeks declined to confirm that the check was linked to the flights that landed in Massachusetts. The Florida Department of Transportation, the agency tasked with executing the new migrant relocation program, received a price quote from Vertol CEO James Montgomerie on September 6 for “the first Project,” one document showed. Montgomerie identified that project as “the facilitation of the relocation of up to fifty individuals to the State of Massachusetts or other, proximate northeastern state.” The price, he said, was $615,000. The next day, FDOT officials sent a letter asking for authorization for the $615,000 and the state made the payment within the next 24 hours, according to financial statements maintained on the Florida Chief Financial Officer’s website previously reported by CNN. In communications with FDOT earlier during the summer, Montgomerie offered the state services that suggested a considerably less ambitious mission for the migrant relocation program. On July 26, after a discussion with FDOT’s general counsel, Montgomerie gave the agency estimates for his company to charter flights that could carry four to 12 people from Crestview, Florida, to the Boston or Los Angeles areas, according to an email from the Vertol executive to FDOT. “We are certainly willing to provide you with pricing information on specific ad-hoc requirements on a case by case basis,” Montgomerie wrote in the email. The prices quoted for flights originating from Florida more closely aligned with FDOT’s guidelines for the program that it sent to prospective contractors and the agency’s request for quotes. In the three-page guidelines, FDOT stipulated the chosen company needed to ensure “that the Unauthorized Alien has voluntarily agreed to be relocated out of Florida.” The quotes also showed Montgomerie early on anticipated Vertol would be moving less people. Later, in September, his quotes evolved to include many more people on board. Ultimately, the planes that left San Antonio briefly touched down in Crestview before eventually landing in Massachusetts. At the time of the state’s request for contractors, DeSantis was publicly claiming that President Joe Biden could send buses of migrants from the US-Mexico border to Florida. But DeSantis acknowledged last month those buses never arrived, and his focus began to shift hundreds of miles away to Texas. DeSantis has said the intention of executing the flights from Texas was to stop the flow of migrants at the source before they came to Florida. “If you can do it at the source and divert to sanctuary jurisdictions, the chance they end up in Florida is much less,” DeSantis told reporters in September. DeSantis has vowed to use “every penny” of the $12 million allocated to his administration for migrant transports. However, the state has not publicly taken credit for any transports since the two planes landed in Martha’s Vineyard. State Sen. Jason Pizzo, the lawmaker now suing DeSantis, said the governor cannot choose to ignore the law when spending state money. “You can’t even play by your own rules,” Pizzo told CNN last month when speaking of DeSantis. “This isn’t something that we passed 12 years ago. It was done four months ago at your request.” DeSantis’ office previously said the lawsuit by Pizzo was an attempt at “15 minutes of fame.” The state has paid Vertol $1.6 million so far through its migrant program, which is funded by interest earned on federal coronavirus relief money, according to the state budget documents. The initial payment of $615,000 was made by the FDOT on September 8, six days before the Martha’s Vineyard flight. Another payment for $950,000 followed on September 16, though it’s not clear what that payment went for. A few days after that second payment, reports of a similar flight plan from San Antonio to Delaware, Biden’s home state, sent officials there scrambling to prepare for migrant arrivals. The flights, though, never arrived. The state did not provide a contract with Vertol in the records released Friday night. Nor do the documents offer further insight into why Vertol was chosen over two other companies that appeared to submit quotes to the state, according to records. CNN has reached out to Montgomerie for further comment. Vertol had an existing link to a DeSantis administration official prior to its work with the state. Lawrence Keefe, Florida’s “public safety czar” appointed by DeSantis to lead the state’s crackdown on illegal immigration, represented the aviation company from 2010 to 2017. In its quoted price to the state, Vertol said it was providing “Project management, aircraft, crew, maintenance logistics, fuel, coordination and planning, route preparation, route services, landing fees, ground handling and logistics and other Project-related expenses,” according to the documents. The request for quotes from the state also asked that potential contractors have “multilingual capability for Spanish.” The chosen contractor would also have to develop procedures for “confirming with Partner Agencies that the person to be transported is an Unauthorized Alien.” Pizzo and others have questioned whether the migrants are considered “unauthorized” by the federal government if they are legally seeking asylum. Read More Here

Norma Jean “BeeBee” Dees https://digitalarizonanews.com/norma-jean-beebee-dees/ Norma Jean “BeeBee” Dees, 87 of TEXarkana, formerly of Magnolia, passed away Thursday, October 6, 2022, at Cornerstone Retirement Community in TEXarkana. Norma was born October 12, 1934 in Union County, Arkansas to the late Courtney Lee White and Josephine (McQuaigue) White. She worked for Shanhouse and retired from Alumax. She was a member of Antioch East Baptist Church and a cancer survivor and active with Steel Magnolias Breast Cancer Support Group. She loved spending time with her family and grandchildren. Norma was preceded in death by her parents; husband of 57 years, Johnny Daniel “Jack” Dees; son-in-law, Greg Bennett; a sister, Margie Williams and husband Homer; and two sisters-in-law, Peggy Wooley and Joy Ainsworth. She is survived by her daughter, Deidra Bennett of Texarkana; son, Johnny Dees Jr. and wife Susan of Magnolia; a sister, Judy Scott and husband Wayne of Taylor; brother, James White of Magnolia; grandchildren, Landyn Dees of Dallas, Madison Dees of Scottsdale, AZ, Blair Bennett of Dallas, Dr. Brent Bennett and wife Morgan, and Wes Bennett and wife Kaci, both of Texarkana; great-grandchildren, Maxwell Bennett, Madge Bennett, Hadley Bennett, Grace Bennett; brother-in-law, Don Wooley of Magnolia; special friends Melissa, Michelle, and Meredith; and a host of extended family and friends. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, October 10, 2022 at Magnolia Memorial Park Cemetery with Bro. Ron Owen officiating under the direction of Lewis Funeral Home, Inc, in Magnolia. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Texarkana, 2407 Galleria Oaks, Texarkana, TX 75503, Cornerstone Retirement Community, 4100 Moores Lane, Texarkana, TX, 75503, or Antioch East Baptist Church, 370 Columbia Road 25, Magnolia, 71753. CLICK HERE to sign the online guest book or share a memory. Read More Here

Former President Donald Trump Stumps For Nevada Republicans At Minden Rally https://digitalarizonanews.com/former-president-donald-trump-stumps-for-nevada-republicans-at-minden-rally/ Former President Donald Trump stumps for Nevada Republicans at Minden rally  KRNV Read More Here

Trump's Visit To Small Nevada Town Highlights Importance Of Rural Voters To State Republicans https://digitalarizonanews.com/trumps-visit-to-small-nevada-town-highlights-importance-of-rural-voters-to-state-republicans/ (CNN) — When former President Donald Trump touches down in Minden, Nevada, on Saturday to campaign for a slate of Republican candidates, he will be landing in a town of just under 3,500 people — about 0.1% of the state’s population. It’s a tiny stop for the former President, who rode stronger-than-expected turnout in rural stretches of the country like Minden to the White House in 2016. But it highlights just how important rural counties are to Nevada Republicans such as Senate nominee Adam Laxalt and gubernatorial hopeful Joe Lombardo in the critical midterm elections. “We believe that rural Nevada is the key to turning our state back,” Laxalt said during a stop late last year in Winnemucca, a mining town of under 8,000 people in northern Humboldt County. Nevada, which Trump lost twice, represents one of the biggest tests for Democratic power in the 2022 midterms. The party holds all but one statewide office in Nevada, and Democratic presidential nominees have carried the state in every election since 2008, buoyed by the strength of the late Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid‘s so-called Reid Machine. But those Democratic margins have been declining and after closures around the coronavirus pandemic dramatically affected Nevada’s tourism-centric economy, Republicans see a strong chance to make gains in the state, hanging their hopes on Lombardo’s bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak and Laxalt’s challenge to Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. A CNN poll released on Thursday found no clear leader in either race: Laxalt and Lombardo had the support of 48% of likely voters compared with 46% for Cortez Masto and Sisolak. The same poll was littered with warning signs for Democrats. Forty-four percent of registered Nevada voters said the country would be better off if Republicans are in control of Congress, compared with 35% who said it wouldn’t be. More Republican voters in Nevada said they were extremely motivated to vote — 62% versus 52% for Democrats. And 41% of voters said the economy was the most important issue in the midterms, something Republicans have used to hammer Democrats. Nevada has been home to one of the most dramatic and politically important urban-rural divides in recent years. And that split could prove even more pivotal in November, given the tightness of the Senate and gubernatorial contests. Rural voters make up a tiny fraction of Nevada’s electorate, with the state’s major urban centers — Clark County, home to Las Vegas, and Washoe County, home to Reno — making up nearly 90% of Nevada’s population of some 3.1 million. According to a study by Iowa State University, Nevada’s rural population fell from nearly 20% of the state in 1970 to less than 6% in 2010. The urbanization of Nevada has long allowed Democratic candidates in the state to run on one strategy: Run up the vote total around Las Vegas, win narrowly or at least stay competitive in the Reno area and lose big in rural Nevada. Cortez Masto, the first Latina elected to the Senate, followed this strategy in 2016 when she lost every Nevada county, except Clark, but still won a first term by over 2 points. In recent years, that strategy paid even greater dividends as Washoe County, the second largest in the state, has tilted toward Democrats. Democratic presidential candidates have carried Washoe County in the last four presidential elections, while Sisolak and the state’s junior senator, Jacky Rosen, both won the county in 2018. That has put more pressure on Nevada Republicans to not only close the gap in Clark and Washoe counties but to also boost as much turnout as possible in rural areas. Whether that “rural first” strategy can even lead to wins any more is an open question, according to David Damore, a political science professor at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “It’s a huge part of the Republican playbook, but every year it is smaller and smaller,” he said of GOP attempts to turn out rural voters. “It’s all about cutting the margin in Clark. What has happened is, even though Trump did that last time, Washoe is becoming more liberal. … It is a little bit of a whack-a-mole game for Republicans.” Testing the strategy Laxalt knows the pressure he faces firsthand. When he successfully ran for state attorney general in 2014, he became the only statewide candidate in recent decades to lose both Clark and Washoe counties but win the election when he narrowly defeated Democrat Ross Miller. Laxalt did what a statewide Republican candidate needed do in Nevada in that race: He kept the margins down in Clark and Washoe — losing the former by less than 6 points and the latter by 1 point — and posted strong margins across the rest of the state. Laxalt also knows it’s not a perfect strategy. Nevada’s increased urbanization has put a strain on that rural-focused strategy as evidenced by Laxalt’s 4-point loss to Sisolak in 2018. In that race, Laxalt once again lost both Clark and Washoe, but this time by wider margins, including losing the Las Vegas area by nearly 14 points. Laxalt, on multiple tours through rural Nevada during his Senate campaign, has stressed the area’s importance to his success. At the same time, he’s had to walk a fine line between raising false claims about the validity of the 2020 election, including Republican concerns about vote-counting in Clark County, and the need to boost rural turnout. Laxalt has done so by raising baseless questions about Clark County elections while stressing to rural voters that their votes matter. “In the end of the day, rural Nevada can provide 75,000-vote cushions, so rural Nevada still matters,” he told an audience in Fallon in late 2021. “Rural Nevada is discouraged. They think Vegas is all that matters. Not true. The vote block out of rural Nevada still makes a huge difference.” Brian Freimuth, a spokesman for Laxalt, said in a statement that the Republican’s effort “is the most well-traveled campaign in the state” and has “hosted events in every rural county, dozens of rural meet & greets, a cattle drive, and events with ranchers and farmers.” “Rural Nevadans know that Adam’s record on water rights, the second amendment, sage grouse, and fighting federal overreach make him the best candidate in this race,” said Freimuth. Cortez Masto, arguably the most vulnerable Democratic Senate incumbent in the country, has focused much of her campaign on tying Laxalt to Trump. Laxalt, who was a co-chair of Trump’s 2020 campaign in Nevada, was central to filing election lawsuits seeking to overturn the presidential result in the state, which Biden won by 2 points. Those lawsuits did not change the election result. Cortez Masto has also looked to cut into Laxalt’s advantage in rural areas. A former state attorney general herself, she embarked on a rural tour of Nevada in August, campaigning in communities such as Ely, Elko, Winnemucca and Fallon — all with populations of less than 20,000 people. “When I became your US senator, it was just as important to me to get out and talk to Nevadans, because here’s the deal: To me, it is about all of us succeeding and that rising tide lifting all of us,” she said in Ely. “At the end of the day, your party affiliation, your background is about making sure your families are successful, your businesses are successful, we’re all in this together.” Cortez Masto has been endorsed by several rural Republican leaders, such as former Winnemucca Mayor Di An Putnam and Ely Mayor Nathan Robertson, who said in a statement that the incumbent will “continue working hard in the Senate to champion issues important to all rural Nevadans.” In response to a question from CNN about Trump rallying with Laxalt in rural Nevada, Cortez Masto spokesman Josh Marcus-Blank said, “No one did more to overturn the 2020 election for Donald Trump than Adam Laxalt, and he is once again being rewarded.” © 2022 Circle City Broadcasting I, LLC. | All Rights Reserved. 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